WONDER GROTTOLE
Wonder Bee&Bee
Wonder Bee&Bee is the Wonder Grottole project that combines innovation, sustainability and slow tourism with the world of beekeeping and apitherapy.
A Refuge of Apitherapy and Nature
Wonder Bee&Bee is the Wonder Grottole project that combines innovation, sustainability and slow tourism with the world of beekeeping and apitherapy. A self-built bioarchitecture, an observatory on the world of bees, an oasis of peace and well-being. An integrated apiary where you can benefit from bee-aroma and bee-sound.
Wonder Bee&Bee was born from the idea of Rocco Filomeno, a beekeeper from Grottole. The apiary was created by designers Davide Tagliabue and Carlo Roccafiorita with the support of Rocco. The executive project was developed by artist and designer Davide Tagliabue, while the self-construction works were carried out by Davide and Mariella Gentile with the help of Lorenzo Lombardi, Luca Gabrieli, Andrea Paoletti, Rocco Pisilli, Nicola Viola and 15 other volunteers from the local community. 3.5 cubic meters of fir and birch wood and 3,000 screws were needed, the construction lasted 35 days and cost just over 15,000 euros raised thanks to the crowdfunding campaign supported by Funder 35.
The micro architecture is surrounded by 9 hives, each inhabited by a family of bees, connected to the room by small grates that allow guests to listen to their sounds and appreciate the unique aroma produced by honey and resin. From inside the house you can also see an observation honeycomb where the bees are building their habitat in a natural way.
A bit of history: from a residence to reality
Started from the dream of Rocco Filomeno, a beekeeper from Grottole, to create an integrated apiary in 2020, we organized the Wonder Residenza with the designers Davide Tagliabue and Carlo Roccafiorita for the design of Wonder Bee - a hybrid space of connection and exchange between man and nature, a microarchitecture to be built with the hands starting from a great vision of sustainable development.
Today Wonder Bee has changed its name to Wonder Bee&Bee and it is also possible to sleep inside it. Wonder Bee&Bee is a facility that allows you to combine beekeeping and the beneficial properties that derive from it for the community and tourists.
What is Wonder Bee&Bee
Wonder Bee&Bee is a wooden structure surrounded by beehives intended for honey production. This system will also allow you to benefit from apitherapy, a wellness path made of scents and sounds and to study the behavior of bees promoting the defense and discovery of these animals so precious for the survival of the entire ecosystem.
Wonder Bee&Bee is an observatory on the world of bees, a classroom open to schools and families. The apiary is also a place to raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity, ensure food security, promote sustainable agriculture, combat climate change, pollution of agroecosystems and promote innovative methodologies for environmental monitoring.
The crowdfunding campaign
On October 25, thanks to the support of the Funder35 call, a crowdfunding campaign was launched (a participatory system of “funding from below”), with the aim of creating the first prototype of the project, as a resource for the territory but also as a study test for the creation of an integrated apiary, to be reproduced elsewhere.
Thanks to over 180 supporters we reached our goal and raised €10,371
On April 9, 2022, a first celebratory party was held dedicated to the community of supporters of the crowdfunding campaign.
